A Place of Prayer
As far as anyone can remember, people have sought
out Chimayo as a place of prayer; first there were Indians, then the
Spaniards and the Mexicans, and now people from all nations.
If it weren’t the modern road that leads
almost to the front door of the church, and old footpath, worn in the
soil by the millions of feet that traveled it, would still be visible.
The people who come here know that prayer is a
way of communication with God, and whether it is because of the sacred
earth, the camaraderie of the pilgrimage, or the peace and quiet of the
location, many people who come to Chimayo say that they feel closer to
God at the little chapel. When they offer they prayers, they say it is
like talking to an old friend, one who always listens.
The question of whether or not the prayers are
answered is raised mainly by people who don’t pray. It is as if
they were saying, “What’s in for me? What can I get out of
prayer?” People who pray, really pray, don’t ask
these questions because, like one woman on the pilgrimage, they know
that “sometimes when we ask God for things, the answers
aren’t what we expect. But they are always what we
need.”
Give us hope of new and better days,
when your promises will all come true in us.
Walk with us, O Lord, as we walk with you.
Margaret M. Nava
